Chapter 75: A Serendipitous Encounter

Zheng San walked behind, taking over the task of closing the courtyard gate. He then followed Shen Zhiyi with light and hurried steps. His smiling face made it seem like he had something else on his mind.

"Third brother, just say what you want to say. Aren't we siblings?" Shen Zhiyi said with a smile.

During his stay at Jigong Mountain, the villagers provided a lot of help, especially Sister Huanghua, who would bring things over twice a day. If Shen Zhiyi hadn't sternly told him "no need to bother," he would have seen this new sister-in-law every day.

This relationship, though not based on blood, has long transcended blood ties.

"Hey, since you've said so, little sister, then I won't be coy anymore," Zheng San said with a grin. The rubbing of his hands indicated that it was related to money. "Do you remember the basin you sent to the yamen back then?"

Shen Zhiyi was certain that Zheng San wasn't there when the pot of tomatoes was delivered. She must have overheard someone saying it, most likely from a buyer who wanted to purchase the tomatoes.

"I remember, it was specially trimmed into the shape of a crane, and the county magistrate placed it in the flower hall," Shen Zhiyi said, feigning calmness.

“Hey, that’s it! That guy went to the yamen and saw that unique tomato bowl shape and couldn’t get it out of his mind. He spent a lot of money to find out where it came from, and then he came to me.” Zheng San said seriously, “When I heard that it was related to tomatoes, I knew it must be related to the girl! But don’t worry, I’m a man of principle. I didn’t agree to this. So I had to come back and ask the girl before I could give her a reply.”

"They said they're celebrating someone's birthday, and besides cranes, they also want something like 'longevity,' 'Nanshan,' and 'old man'... Anyway, they have a lot of requests, so they'll definitely be buying more than just one pot!" Zheng San said enthusiastically.

"Third Brother, this matter..." Shen Zhiyi thought of the crane she had cultivated being called a "chicken," and then thought of the pot that was repaired by Lord Lu. She couldn't possibly take the pot to the yamen to find Lord Lu just for this business, could she?

Shen Zhiyi vaguely mentioned the matter, and Zheng San was stunned for a moment, then muttered, "We definitely can't let Lord Lu do it, otherwise even if you give me a hundred taels of silver per pot... I'll have to think about it."

Shen Zhiyi was speechless for once, then said, "Anyway, about this matter..."

"I have a way, sister!" Zheng San's mind raced, and he hurriedly said, "There are plenty of scholars in the city, we're sure to find one who knows how! Wait here, I'll go to the city and ask Ge Ermazi, I'm sure I can find one!"

"This is a deal worth ten taels a basin! We can't let it slip away so easily." Zheng San said, not even bothering to go inside and rest for a while, and turned to leave. "Sister, make sure you lock the door yourself!"

“Even if we do find one, the seedlings haven’t been trained yet! It will take at least two months…” Shen Zhiyi added from behind, and the only response was Zheng San’s “I know,” the last syllable of which drifted over from the courtyard gate that hadn’t been closed properly, showing how quickly the other party had left.

Shen Zhiyi didn't place her hopes on Zheng San finding a scholar skilled in pruning; instead, she was thinking about whether the potato seeds had sprouted normally today.

The potato wasn't very big. Before planting, it was placed on a warm kang bed, and the roof above the kang bed was even slightly lifted to let in sunlight, creating a simple environment for sprouting. However, seven days have passed, and there is still no sign of sprouting.

Could it be that she made a mistake?

The weight, appearance, and even the color under the skin all confirm that it is a potato, so why is it not working?

She had to try a different approach.

She also has other seeds to take care of, and when she gets busy, she sometimes doesn't even have time to eat, which makes her eating time irregular and she is even thinner than before.

This worried Tang Huaya and the others, as if it were an agreement, someone would bring food over every day.

Whenever Shen Zhiyi heard a knock on the door around noon, she knew someone was bringing her lunch. Forced to snap out of her work mode, the yellow dog guarding the gate stopped barking and instead wagged its tail impatiently and scratched at the door with its paws.

"Little Yellow, come here." Shen Zhiyi called softly. The dog, which was scratching at the door, turned its head, barked as if to beg for attention, and ran towards her.

As soon as Shen Zhiyi opened the courtyard gate, a figure leaned over from the side. She subconsciously reached out to support him, and a yellow dog ran out from behind her, tilting its head back and biting the rickety meat bun.

"Young lady, I suddenly fell ill. Luckily, you helped me up, or I would have fallen and hurt myself..." the man said softly. Judging from his clothes, he should be a scholar, but it was really strange that he carried meat buns with him.

Shen Zhiyi quickly withdrew her hand, ignoring the other party's weak appearance, and said, "Please forgive me, young master, it is not convenient for me to invite you inside."

"Hey, young lady, I..." The man was about to say something when he reached out to grab Shen Zhiyi, but she immediately dodged away.

However, a furious shout came from not far away: "Stop!"

Shen Zhiyi, who was about to close the courtyard gate, looked past the man in front of her and saw who was behind her. Just as she saw who it was, she heard a whooshing sound and caught a glimpse of the still trembling arrow on the door.

This startled the man who was still standing in front of the door. He turned around in astonishment, and as soon as he recognized who it was, he immediately covered his face with his sleeve and hurriedly ran away, no longer showing his previous weak appearance.

"Zhiyi, are you alright?" Zhao Daya's anxious voice came from afar.

"It's alright," Shen Zhiyi replied, feigning composure as she took out the arrow stuck in the wooden door. Glancing at the corner of her eye, she turned and handed the arrow over, saying, "Thank you for your help, Lord Lu."

"No need for thanks," Lu Jingbai replied, taking the arrow. "It's not safe for Miss Shen to live alone here."

“I haven’t always lived here.” Shen Zhiyi lifted the lid lightly, not wanting to talk any further. “Since we’ve met Lord Lu, there are indeed some things that should be returned. Please come in, Lord Lu.”

After saying this, Shen Zhiyi stepped aside.

As if by telepathy, Lu Jingbai immediately understood what she was talking about. The resentment that had been lingering in his heart turned into sharp thorns, mocking his self-delusion.

“Alright,” Lu Jingbai said slowly, and walked into the courtyard.

I've passed by this place many times before, but I've never gone near it. Now I can see it clearly, and perhaps this is the last time.

Zhao Daya deliberately lagged behind a few steps and entered the room side by side with Xuan Yan, but her mind was filled with thoughts. She felt uneasy looking at the two people in front of her.

Shen Zhiyi led the person to the main hall, and then returned the neatly folded robes and cloak to Lu Jingbai, saying calmly, "These things should have been returned to their rightful owner long ago, but they have always been delayed by one thing or another. Although I know that Lord Lu does not lack these things, keeping them here will always bring some inappropriate thoughts."

This was the boldest time Shen Zhiyi had ever spoken to Lu Jingbai.

“I do have feelings for you…” Lu Jingbai said softly, “but I am lost and helpless, and I am afraid of delaying you.”

Shen Zhiyi frowned upon hearing this. Sure enough, she was not suited to using such euphemistic language. Why was she, who was usually so efficient, engaging in such ambiguous and evasive conversations with the other party?

I'm going all in!

She made up her mind and said earnestly, "Lord Lu treats the people under his rule very well, and he treats me and our village well too. But I think I can distinguish between different kinds of kindness. It's just that his ambiguous attitude is really hard for me to understand. Several times I thought I was just imagining things, so I never dared to be sure."

“Since you’ve brought this up, then I’d like to ask as well. If you don’t share this sentiment, then pretend I never said anything.” Shen Zhiyi said, then looked up at Lu Jingbai with intense gaze, “I admire Lord Lu, but I wonder what your intentions are?”

Lu Jingbai was stunned by this. He had imagined a thousand scenarios, but he had never thought of this.

Shen Zhiyi was also very nervous about her first confession. It was probably because of the occasional "courtship" she had been receiving lately, and today a frail man even came to her door to offer himself to her, which scared her half to death.

Who knows what tricks we'll see next time?

Rather than being targeted by those people, I'd rather fulfill my deepest desires, even if taking that step means certain doom.

If I'm not mistaken, it shouldn't have come to that terrible state.

“I…I never thought…” Lu Jingbai said slowly, “These words were spoken by the young lady.”

"Can't a virtuous gentleman pursue a lady?" Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but say, having spent so much time with Zhao Daya, that her words had become increasingly bold.

"Miss Chen," Lu Jingbai called out helplessly.

Shen Zhiyi has developed a bad habit at some point: when she's too nervous, she'll crack jokes and make excuses, even if the other person says no, she can later justify it by saying "I was just joking".

However, this tactic doesn't seem to work here.

"Hmm?" Shen Zhiyi replied, lowering her eyes.

"I was unprepared today and may have been abrupt. I hope you will forgive me, young lady," Lu Jingbai said sincerely. "I also love you, young lady. When the time is right, I will inform your elders and formally marry you."

At this point, Lu Jingbai's face instantly turned red.

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Shen Zhiyi said gently, never imagining that such an important event in her life would be accomplished in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, the words I spoke reached the ears of the right people.

When Lu Jingbai left in a hurry, he still forgot to take his robe and cloak. As a result, when Shen Zhiyi stood in the hall and saw that figure seemingly fleeing, she couldn't help but rub her forehead. Had she really been too bold and scared the person away?

Seeing Zhao Daya slowly walk in carrying a food box, and her hesitant expression, Shen Zhi couldn't help but think of something else. As she opened the food box, she said, "Why did Lord Lu come with you?"

“They were passing through our village on their way, so they came together. I chatted with Brother Xuan about some things in the village on the way…” Zhao Daya hesitated, but continued under Shen Zhiyi’s gaze, “Grandpa Village Chief and Grandma Qin have already found seventy or eighty good young men in the surrounding villages for you, and they’re just waiting for you to go back so they can meet them.”

"What?" Shen Zhiyi was shocked.

“Zhiyi, do you have no idea how famous you are in other villages? Whenever it comes to marriageable girls, you’re number one in every matchmaker’s heart. They’re doing everything they can to make sure you get engaged this year,” Zhao Daya said belatedly. “When I said that, I didn’t realize that Lord Lu had also heard me. Although I couldn’t see his expression, that whoosh when that thing flew over scared me to death! That was probably the angrier Lord Lu ever looked.”

Shen Zhiyi had no idea that her sudden confession was backed by such a unique experience. Thinking of those seventy or eighty decent young men, she was truly glad that she had made up her mind first.

“I also think he was angry at that time,” Shen Zhiyi agreed, but the person hid it too well, so we could only guess based on those clues.